Succession Games
by Allora Gale
Summary: In an alternate universe where Geass never existed and Marianne had never been killed, Lelouch vi Britannia is plagued by an entirely different set of concerns.


Succession Games

A Code Geass Fanfic

By Allora Gale

Lelouch was nervous as he sat in the garden of the Aeries Villa – home, though he knew that he would no doubt be leaving here within the next half a year at the latest. It was time. He couldn't live sequestered away in this villa for the rest of his life. He was already seventeen and it was probably overdue.

Schneizel had moved out of his mother's home at sixteen.

Yes, he was already behind, but he hadn't been able to bring himself to leave quite yet. Because up until now, he hadn't made his decision yet. He hadn't decided what he wanted to do with himself. What was he going to do with the rest of his life?

He hadn't quite known. The possibilities had been next to endless. He could have pursued practically any career of his choosing. After all, he was only the Eleventh Prince of Britannia. There were plenty of others closer to the throne to do the important work for the Empire. He could have done anything at all.

He took a deep breath, hesitantly sipping from his tea as the silence made his skin crawl. He glanced across the table at his mother (sitting patiently as she watched a bird at the feeder, waiting for him to gather the nerve to speak) and Nunnally (looking bored and impatient as she idly stirred her tea).

He should say something. After all, he was the one who had invited them both here. He'd asked them to have tea with him in the garden so that he could talk to them about something important. It was too late to back out now – and he didn't want to back out anyway.

It was just . . . it was just that this was risky. And this would be a marked and drastic change that would likely affect them too. What he was about to do would inevitably drag them in along with him.

But even with that said, he wasn't about to ask them for their permission. He'd already made up his mind. This was just to inform them of the choice he'd made.

"I . . ." His voice cracked and he was acutely aware of the way the uttered syllable had drawn both his mother's and sister's identical cerulean gazes back to him. He swallowed, took a deep breath to calm himself before continuing. "I'm . . . going to become the next Emperor of Britannia."

There.

He'd said it.

He 'd officially joined the succession game.

He knew the danger this would entail and he knew the risk he was putting his family in. But he'd already made up his mind. Besides, the security at the Aeries Villa was better than anywhere else on St. Darwin Street except the Imperial Palace and his mother was a Knight. Speaking of . .

"After Father passes away, of course." He clarified for his mother so she wouldn't have to be worried about them going up against each other.

For a moment he didn't dare to look at her. But then he gathered his courage and lifted his head to witness his mother's wide, confident smirk.

A part of him knew that she'd always been waiting for this. She'd never tried to guide him or manipulate him into choosing this path. No, on the contrary she'd remained insistent that he would have to choose his own path, but he'd always known that she'd hoped for this result. Because she was a commoner and he was a common-born prince and it would rub it in all of their enemies faces. Because he and Nunnally had suffered harassment and torment like none of the other royal heirs had.

Because it had made him hard enough and cynical enough to see past the empty platitudes they offered him at court when they needed him to solve their problems. Because he was smart enough not to let them see that he knew. And because it had made him cold enough to hold the rest of the royal family at bay.

The only ones he considered family were sitting at this table. The rest were simply rivals.

His mother grinned and leaned forward to squeeze the hand he had resting on the top of the table. "I was wondering when you'd make up your mind. I'm proud of you." She said softly. "Of course, you'll have my support so long as you don't make a move against your father."

Which was something he'd already known. However much she loved her children, Marianne vi Britannia was first and foremost a Knight, then a mother, then an Empress.

"I have no intention of moving against my father." He assured her again, to which she nodded.

He glanced at Nunnally, just as wary of her reaction. She'd stopped stirring her tea, the spoon held motionlessly in her cup as she stared at him wide-eyed. Then she recovered and composed herself, setting down the spoon with a loud _clink_ against the saucer.

"Do you know how much danger you're going to be putting yourself in?" She demanded suddenly. He'd also expected this kind of reaction. Lelouch had always tried to protect her. He'd made plenty of enemies over the years for coming to her defence whenever someone had dared to insult her in his presence. They could say whatever they liked about him, but as far as he was concerned, going after his sister was tantamount to throwing down the gauntlet.

It was only recently that he'd discovered his sister considered him the same way and had been secretly protecting him at the same time he'd been secretly protecting her. She had a sharp tongue when she wanted to use it – an inheritance from their mother, no doubt. But she also had enough sense to present herself as just another noble dove, camouflaging amongst those who secretly scorned them.

Nunnally was docile and charming right up to the point where you offended her. Then, she'd rip you to shreds.

"I do." He nodded. Those striving for the succession were often assassinated before they could become a viable threat. Clovis had died for precisely that reason earlier last year (though of course the killer had never been found). However, he had no intention of letting himself be killed. He would be selecting a Knight of Honor and building up a Royal Guard in the upcoming weeks to make sure of it. "I just can't picture myself kneeling for Schneizel."

"Odysseus is -"

"Not a threat." He said, cutting off his sisters correction. Odysseus might be the crown prince, but he was also an idiot. In fact, it was likely only because he was such an idiot that he'd been allowed to live this long. And this was undoubtedly something the crown prince knew.

"Schneizel is certainly a powerful opponent. But he's a politician. He likely has assassins by the dozen, but he won't be able to effectively rally the army. I can help you with that." His mother assured him. "In the meanwhile, you shouldn't go anywhere unprotected. You neither, Nunnally. I wouldn't put it past Schneizel to target you to get at Lelouch."

"Thank you." He said gratefully. His mother's connections would prove invaluable in this endeavour.

"And I'll talk to Charles about elevating your position to give you some real tangible power. No matter how many other women he marries, I'm still the favorite."

He smirked. If she could manage that much he'd be laughing. He'd never asked the Emperor for anything before in his life. He'd never sought assistance in any of the conflicts he'd come into, he'd never petitioned the man to get the harassment he and Nunnally suffered to stop and he'd never brought shame on the Britannia name.

He was a model student and a perfectly polite gentleman (right up to the point that someone insulted Nunnally, that is) and had never been disciplined or reprimanded for his public dealings. The Emperor would have no viable reason to refuse him.

Still, even with the Emperor's support, it wouldn't be easy to get rid of Schneizel. He hoped he was up to the challenge. Though, of course, Schneizel wasn't the only one he needed to be worried about.

* * *

><p>AN: This is just a one-shot about an idea that wouldn't leave me alone. It was pretty much jotted down in the course of a single hour (which I was supposed to be editing the next chapter of my other story in) and it isn't very polished or well thought out in terms of plot. At this point in time I don't plan on continuing it, so if anyone wants to adopt it and write a story about it you're more than welcome to. In fact, I'd love to read this story, I just don't have the time to write it.<p>

Anyway, hope you enjoyed it. Don't forget to review and let me know what you think.

Allora


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